Narrative:

When flying my hot air balloon at approximately 750 ft, an air carrier jet flew about 200-250 ft directly over me on his approach to land, causing my balloon to become severely distorted and swing side to side, temporarily out of control. There was no damage to the balloon or myself. I had been flying low, looking for a landing spot for probably 30 mins before this occurred. The winds were very light, and the closer I came to the surface I got a right turn, eliminating many possible landing sights. I ascended 200-250 ft a couple of times earlier trying to fly a better direction, but I was aware of my location in relation to the airport and felt I should not maintain that altitude. I called the tower from home before I launched and advised them of my intentions and radioed them as soon as I was in the air. During my flight, the tower seemed to be confusing my balloon with another balloon that launched after me. After this pilot described his balloon twice, the tower asked him what my north number was and he replied he didn't know. I immediately informed them of my number. When the jet approached, he asked the tower if my altitude was 1000 ft. The tower asked me what it was and I replied. I can't remember the exact number I said, but it was between 750-770 ft MSL. The jet was perfectly aligned with me and flew over me as I described earlier. After this, the tower advised me to fly either higher or lower. I continued to fly low and landed about 30 mins later. Action that I can take to prevent a recurrence: if headed the same direction again, land long before getting that far east, or fly high sooner and fly over the airport and not in the landing pattern. I don't think I am in a position to say whether the tower should have handled the situation differently. They may have thought I would have been on the ground sooner also. I just felt this report was warranted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON PLT WAS TEMPORARILY BLOWN OUT OF CTL BY AN ACR MLG JET FLYING OVER THE BALLOON ON LNDG APCH.

Narrative: WHEN FLYING MY HOT AIR BALLOON AT APPROX 750 FT, AN ACR JET FLEW ABOUT 200-250 FT DIRECTLY OVER ME ON HIS APCH TO LAND, CAUSING MY BALLOON TO BECOME SEVERELY DISTORTED AND SWING SIDE TO SIDE, TEMPORARILY OUT OF CTL. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON OR MYSELF. I HAD BEEN FLYING LOW, LOOKING FOR A LNDG SPOT FOR PROBABLY 30 MINS BEFORE THIS OCCURRED. THE WINDS WERE VERY LIGHT, AND THE CLOSER I CAME TO THE SURFACE I GOT A R TURN, ELIMINATING MANY POSSIBLE LNDG SIGHTS. I ASCENDED 200-250 FT A COUPLE OF TIMES EARLIER TRYING TO FLY A BETTER DIRECTION, BUT I WAS AWARE OF MY LOCATION IN RELATION TO THE ARPT AND FELT I SHOULD NOT MAINTAIN THAT ALT. I CALLED THE TWR FROM HOME BEFORE I LAUNCHED AND ADVISED THEM OF MY INTENTIONS AND RADIOED THEM AS SOON AS I WAS IN THE AIR. DURING MY FLT, THE TWR SEEMED TO BE CONFUSING MY BALLOON WITH ANOTHER BALLOON THAT LAUNCHED AFTER ME. AFTER THIS PLT DESCRIBED HIS BALLOON TWICE, THE TWR ASKED HIM WHAT MY N NUMBER WAS AND HE REPLIED HE DIDN'T KNOW. I IMMEDIATELY INFORMED THEM OF MY NUMBER. WHEN THE JET APCHED, HE ASKED THE TWR IF MY ALT WAS 1000 FT. THE TWR ASKED ME WHAT IT WAS AND I REPLIED. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBER I SAID, BUT IT WAS BTWN 750-770 FT MSL. THE JET WAS PERFECTLY ALIGNED WITH ME AND FLEW OVER ME AS I DESCRIBED EARLIER. AFTER THIS, THE TWR ADVISED ME TO FLY EITHER HIGHER OR LOWER. I CONTINUED TO FLY LOW AND LANDED ABOUT 30 MINS LATER. ACTION THAT I CAN TAKE TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE: IF HEADED THE SAME DIRECTION AGAIN, LAND LONG BEFORE GETTING THAT FAR E, OR FLY HIGH SOONER AND FLY OVER THE ARPT AND NOT IN THE LNDG PATTERN. I DON'T THINK I AM IN A POS TO SAY WHETHER THE TWR SHOULD HAVE HANDLED THE SIT DIFFERENTLY. THEY MAY HAVE THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE GND SOONER ALSO. I JUST FELT THIS RPT WAS WARRANTED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.